Resilient tire



Feb. 25, 1930. A. T'vLE RESILIENT TIRE Original. Filed July 20-, 1927 INVENTOR. z

- Mustag 73/1421- TTO EYS Patented Feb. 25, 1930 PATENT OFFICE AUGUSTUS TYLER, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN RESILIENT TIRE Application filed July 20, 1927, Serial No. 207,270. Renewed May 23, 1929.

u This invention relates to the construction of resilient tires for automobiles and other vehicles. One of its objects is to obtain. and H embody in one structurethe principal advan- 3 tages of the pneumatic and those of the solid tire, while avoiding the disadvantages'of both. More specifically, the object is to obtain the resiliency of the pneumatic tire, with H its .capacity'for distortion to accommodate 10. itself to irregularities in or upon the sur- 7 face of the road, and to obtain at the same time the great durability, practical immunity from puncture, and resistance to the t'ransmissionof shocks, which characterize the solid tire. l

' Afurther object of the-invention is to provide 'a tirehaving the characteristics specified above, and which is adapted to be enclosed within anouter casing, such as'now used'in the double tube type of pneumatic tires. By thus using a tire of the construction hereln described as a filler or core, in place of the ordinary inner tube, a caslng or outer tube which has become worn to such an extent 2 as to be no longer fit for use with the ordinary inner'tube, may be still utilized for much additional mileage. I thus obtain the advantageof economy, in addition to the other advantages indicated above.

'Further-objects of my invention are: to provide a tire having greater durability and mileage capacity than the ordinary makes of pneumatic tires now in use; having also the capacity of absorbing to an unusual degree the shocks caused by impact with obstacles on the road, and of resisting the transmission of such shocks't-o the vehicle; and which,'by reason of special, features of construction hereinafter described, conduces to the smooth and comfortable riding qualities of the vehicle. l The features of construction which constitute the present invention and the objects thereof will be more fully understood from thefollowing detailed description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the 56 lower portion of a'vehicle, illustrating the manner in which the tires adjust themselves to road irregularities;

' Figure 2 is a partial section of theitire in a planeat right angles to the axis of the wheel; I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the tire with one end shown in section, taken substantially along a line 3-3 of F igure 2; and

Figure 4' is a transverse sectional view along a line 4-4 of Figure 2.

In the several figures of the drawings my invention is illustrated as embodied in a tire which is of conventional shape, but is molded out of resilient rubber inseparate sections, as indicated at 5, each section being a complete ring or circle, and the plane of division 6 between the sections being central of the tire and at right angles to the axis of the wheel. The sections 5 are or may be of identical construction, except that, where one section has circumferential grooves or depressions 7, 7, in the face thereof, the other has correspondingly shaped ribs 8, 8, to fit i into the opposite grooves when the two sections are put together, as shown for example in Figures 3 and 4. The making of the tire in two sections as, shown, facilitates the formation of the air-chambers or cavities within the tire which constitute an important feature of my invention. As shown in the drawings these air chambers, which are disposed in spaced relation around the entire circumference of the tire, are composed each of two distinct parts, part 9 being cup-shaped and relatively of considerable height, and part ll, which also is of cylindrical form, being considerably greater in diameter than part 9; and the two parts 9 and 11 of each chamber being concentric. The axis of each of these two-part air chambers 1s 1n the line of a radius of the wheel, the wide part 11 4 I of each chamber being towards the tread-face of the tire.

In tires of ordinary construction the fiattening of the tire due to partial deflation causes a spreading on each side which in some cases results in rim cuts. Also in the case of double tube tires, when in a state of partial deflation, there is likely to be a working and friction of the surface of the inner tube upon the adjacent surface of the outer, which may result in blow outs. I have found by practical tests that these disadvantages are avoided to a large extent by constructing the tire as just described. The wide part of the laterally at that part of the tire; and onthe other hand, the walls of the tire are thickened alongside the part 9 of each air-chamber, because of the relatively small diameter of this part of the air-chamber.

Chambers 11 communicate with each other by means of restricted air passages 12, that pass through the intervening webs ofjrubber thatseparate one chamber from the next adjacent to it. By means of passages 12 which'are of relatively small cross-sectional area, all the chambers 9 and 11 are connected together into one communicating system, so that the air pressure within the tire is normally uniform throughout. But in the case of extra compression occurring. locally, as when ,an obstacle or irregularity upon the road is encountered, the effect is not instantly transmitted allaround the circumference as in the case of a pneumatic tire, but, because of the small cross-sectional area of the communicating passages 12, the transmission of the shock isretarded, with the result that the shock itself is locally absorbed, and is not communicated to the body of the vehicle.

The construction and arrangement of the connected series of air-chambers issuch that areas which yield readily, when an obstruction or road irregularity is encountered, al-' ternate with relatively unyielding areas all around the tire. This construction tends to I localize the effects of shocks when obstructions are encountered, V

Preferably a valved air-inlet 1s provlded, 1n communicationwith one of the chambers 9, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, where an inlet opening 13 is fitted with a valve-stem 14, such as commonly used in connection with pneumatic tires- By means of this arrangement the desired air-pressure may be maintained throughout the entire air-chamber system.

as the outertube or casing of an ordinary pneumatic tire, and may by means thereof, be mounted upon the rim of the wheel; By thus constructing the the so; that it may be used as a core or filler within acasing or sheath, in place of the inner tube of a pneu-' matic tire, casings that, by reason of wear or injury, are'no longer usable with an ordinary inner tube may yet be capable ofconsiderable usage in connection with tires constructed according to my invention as; cit-- plained above.

What is claimed is:

1. A tire composed of resilient material I having within'its body a series of two-part air-chambersin spacedrelatio'n around the tire, both parts of each chamberbeing cylin drical'in shape, that part of each which is nearest the tread being of larger diameter 1 and of less height than the other part.

2. A tire composed of resilient; material having within its body a series of two-part air chambers in spaced relation around the tire and all connected into a communicating series by air passages of restricted diameter, 1

air chambers disposed in spaced relation around the tire, each chamber being. formed of two concentric cylindrical portions, that portion nearest the treadibeing of substantially greater diameter and of less height than the other portion, the axis of each cham-:

her being in the line of a radius of the wheel,

' In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

. AUGUSTUS TYLER,

7 To obtain good results the pressure need be 7 V only a few pounds above atmospheric'pressure. p 7

. The'tire sections 5 may have a tread 15 molded or vulcanized thereon, asshown in Fig. 3; the'tread serving also as a means for.

securing-said tire sections firmly .together at their outer edges. But the meeting faces of the sections may be fastened together by V vulcanization, or by cement, or in any suitable way, so as to make the system of cham, bers or'cavities within the tire air-tight.

' The tire may be used to advantage by enclosing itin an outer sheath 16 (Fig. A), such 

